Bristol’s Mount Hope Farm has 127 acres of fields, woods, streams and ponds for walking, hiking and exploring. It has a year-round farmers market. Executive Director Jennifer Bristol, pictured above, came onboard a year ago, tasked with developing a five-year plan for the nonprofit farm. “I’ve talked to hundreds of people and they all have in their mind this picture of what the farm is to them,” Bristol said. “Marrying the visions of all those people to allow them to maintain the experience and support the future and health of [the farm] is what has to happen on our end.” more

WARWICK – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service of Rhode Island is accepting applications for Conservation Innovation Grants to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Up to $70,000 will be awarded statewide. more

When Jennifer Bristol arrived at Mount Hope Farm as its executive director one year ago, she walked into a nonprofit long sustained by the good will of generations of Rhode Islanders who have called it among their favorite local spots. more

Now that control of the land has been decided, the next step is determining what type of public use and amenities to allow on 120 acres of prime waterfront land that was once home to the former Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick. more

BOSTON – The West Broadway Neighborhood Association and WaterFire Providence are the two Rhode Island recipients of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfield grants aimed at protecting health and cleaning up communities. more

AUSTIN, Texas – Fitch Ratings this month assigned a AAA rating to $49 million in Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency’s water-pollution-control, revolving-fund revenue bonds. The rating outlook is stable. more

Rhode Island waters are an informal jigsaw puzzle of oyster farms, territory for wild harvesting of shellfish, water-skiing areas, fishing spots and just plain beautiful water for boating or spectacular views. more

With “Rubbish” the title of an anthropology course at Rhode Island College, it’s the latest sign state colleges are stepping up the focus on sustainability. more

PROVIDENCE – Jamestown and the Narragansett Bay Commission were among the winners at the annual Narragansett Water Pollution Control Association banquet held in May, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management announced. more

Marion Gold is Rhode Island’s second commissioner of energy resources, leading the state’s environmental planning at a critical time when climate change, increasingly intense storms and a sluggish economy have to merge into viable energy policy. more